State’s top court denies Las Lomas

Spokesman says developer will still pursue the Newhall Pass development

The California Supreme Court has killed a plan to build a mini-city in the Newhall Pass.

The court denied an appeal filed by Las Lomas Land Co. LLC that proposed building more than 2 million feet of commercial real estate, 5,500 homes and a 300-room hotel on the hills north and east of Interstate 5 in the pass.

Both Santa Clarita and Los Angeles opposed the planned development, which could have been built only after Newhall Pass' hills were leveled and hundreds of oak trees ripped out.

Los Angeles turned thumbs down on Las Lomas after a 2008 Signal article revealed that developer Dan Palmer didn't own the land that he proposed to build on, and not all the owners even knew of his plans.

Edward Park, spokesman for Las Lomas, said Palmer was unavailable to comment Monday but the company will continue to try to develop the property.

"This is game, set and match for Las Lomas," Santa Clarita City Manager Ken Pulskamp said. "I can't imagine what else they can do."

"A development project of this size and density is simply irresponsible," said Councilman Bob Kellar. "(Las Lomas) might line somebody's pockets, but it would devastate San Fernando and Santa Clarita. I am just absolutely thrilled we were able to defeat the proposal."

The Las Lomas development has been plagued by setbacks and delays since it was first proposed in 2002.

Santa Clarita adopted resolutions opposing the development in 2002 and 2007. The Los Angeles City Council voted 10-5 to halt development plans in March 2008 following The Signal's report that Palmer owned only about half of the acreage planned for the development.

After getting shut down by the Los Angeles City Council, Las Lomas filed a $100 million lawsuit against the city. The lawsuit was thrown out in Superior Court in August 2008.

The California appeals court denied the Las Lomas development in September 2009.